GURUGRAM: The second edition of the
Gurgaon Kala Utsav concluded on Saturday evening with a series of recitals that demonstrated the variety and beauty of India’s classical dances. The two-day fest, held at Rangbhoomi open air theatre in Sector 29, brought together the best of performing and visual arts, including dance and drama, and showcased arts and handicrafts from across the country.
The Kala Utsav is organised by Nritya Dhara, a city-based cultural trust that has been promoting
Odissi since 2011, and ASHRAY (Association for Social Health and Rehabilitative Action by Youth), a 27-year-old not-for-profit that seeks to make culture accessible to all in Delhi-NCR. Nritya Dhara is the labour of love of Vani Madhav, a noted Odissi dancer who can be said to be the spirit behind the festival.
Dance formed the centrepiece of the evening shows, with performances by luminaries like Bharatanatyam danseuse Geeta Chandran (and her troupe), Odissi dancer Sharon Lowen, and the Kuchipudi husband-wife duo of Pasumarthi and Bharati Vithal. There was also the magic of Sattriya dance, provided by Bhabananda Barbayan and his group, and the easy charm of the Sambalpuri folk dance, performed by Dhol Mahuri Kala Parishad, all the way from Balangir, Odisha.
On the second night, multi-talented Deepti Omchery Bhalla, who is as proficient in the Mohiniyattam dance form as she is singing Carnatic standards, delighted the audience, as did Kathak danseuse Jayashree Acharya, who performed alongside her group. Meanwhile, Sovanabrata and Nutan Sircar enchanted one and all with their Manipuri recital. There was also folk dance from Gujarat (Chetan Jethava and his Saptak group) and Haryana (Chandan Singh ‘Nagada’ and his party).
Besides, there were dance competitions for children, in classical, semi-classical and folk, as well as on-the-spot painting contests, alongside a day-long exhibition of artists from Delhi-NCR. “It had a wonderful response, with more participants than we expected,” said Madhav. She added that dance gurus expressed delight that the Millennium City offers space for classical dance forms.
“After working hard towards organising the festival, the response from the Gurgaon audience feels great. It encourages me to organise this festival year after year,” added Madhav.
The Gurgaon Kala Utsav is supported by the Union ministry of culture, Sangeet Natak Akademi, North Zone Cultural Centre (Patiala, Punjab), Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd, Rizwan Adatia Foundation (Mumbai), and the culture department, government of Odisha.
T he fest was held at Rangbhoomi open air theatre in Sector 29.
